1. Field of the Invention
The following description relates to a rearview assembly for a motor vehicle. A rearview assembly may include a foot attachable to the motor vehicle, and a head rotatable relative to the foot, the head having at least one base body with a bearing opening for receiving an axis of rotation associated with the foot. A rearview assembly includes exterior rearview assemblies, rearview camera assemblies, among other rearview assemblies.
2. Related Art
Rearview assemblies for motor vehicles typically include a foot which is attached to the body of the motor vehicle, and a head which is pivotally connected to the foot. In case of an outside rearview mirror, the head carries a mirror glass. Due to the articulated connection, such a rearview assembly swivels at least between a folded in position, in which the head rests on the motor vehicle, and a folded out or rather operating position, in which the head is pivoted outwards and allows the rearward view.
A generic rearview assembly is known for example from German Patent Application No. DE 10 2010 054 372 A1. According to this example, the articulated connection includes a pin providing a hinge axis which is part of the mirror foot and is accommodated in a recess forming a joint socket. Around the pin, a coil spring is guided to generate a biasing force, and the spring is fixed with a pressure plate made of metal. A sliding disc supports the coil spring against a base body of the mirror head to allow a smooth, low-noise and low-friction pivoting of the rearview assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,488,382 B1 describes an exterior rearview mirror for motor vehicles with a mirror base to be fastened to the vehicle and with a mirror head connected to the mirror base. The mirror base is latched to the mirror head via at least one catch element. The catch element may be provided on a projection of a support of the mirror head. The free ends of the catch elements, which are in the front in the insertion direction of the mirror head and/or its support are preferably designed as outwardly projecting latch cams, which engage behind an inwardly projecting edge of a reception of the mirror base. At least the catch elements of the projection can be biased radially outward under the force of at least one spring where the mounted position an annular spring is arranged within the projection of the support. The support can be made of plastic, and the spring is usually made of metal.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,609,800 describes a vehicle door mirror having a housing. The housing connects to a vehicle door via a stem. An intermediate member is inserted between the housing and the vehicle door to effect relatively smooth abutment between the intermediate member and each of the housing and the vehicle door. The cylindrical stem extends from the housing through the intermediate member and through the vehicle door. The stem includes primary engagement members to engage with complementary engagement members formed in a mounting hole of the door. The engagement members prevent removal from the mounting hole when the stem is in a predetermined orientation. A spring is compressed between the housing and the stem to cause retraction of the stem inward of the housing. Such inward movement urges the primary engagement members into engagement with the complementary engagement members.
European Patent No. 1 373 019 B1 describes a pivot assembly for a vehicle external mirror having a mirror base mounted to a mirror head. The assembly includes a first member having a first detent side, a first inner side and a first aperture extending from the first detent side to the first inner side, a second member having a second detent side, a second inner side and a second aperture extending from the second detent side to the second inner side, the second member being positioned with respect to the first member such that the second detent side is facing the first detent side and the first and second apertures are aligned. The first and second members are mountable in either the base and the head respectively or the mirror head and the mirror base respectively. A detent means is positioned between the first detent side and the second detent side, the detent means operable to hold the mirror head in a deployed position with respect to the mirror base. The assembly further includes a spigot having a shaft and a head depending from the shaft, the shaft passing through the first and second apertures thereby providing a pivot axis about which the second member can rotate with respect to the first member, a spring adapted and positioned around the spigot to bias the first and second sides towards each other and therefore to hold the detent means engaged thereby restraining movement of the mirror head with respect the mirror base, and a means for applying a pre-load to the spring. The means for applying a pre-load to the spring includes a means for locking the spigot against rotation with respect to the first member before the spring is pre-loaded, an arm projecting radially from the head of the spigot, a spigot guide on or adjacent the second inner side, the spigot guide including a ramped surface adapted to receive the radially projecting arm so as to cause the spigot head to move axially away from the first member before the spring is fully pre-loaded as the second member rotates in the first direction with respect to the spigot and the first member, and a means for locking the spigot against rotation with respect to the second member after the spring is pre-loaded where the initial relative rotation between the second member and the first member in a first direction causes loading of the spring and the load is retained as a pre-load during subsequent relative rotations between the second member and the first member.
European Patent Application No. 0 221 255 A3 relates to a vehicle mirror having a mirror foot which is to be fastened to the vehicle and to which a mirror arm is pivotably mounted about a substantially vertical axis, the hinge including a vehicle-side holder and an arm support rotatably mounted thereon, the arm support having a cavity communicating with a cavity of the holder in any possible position of the arm support and guiding at least one cable through the two cavities into the interior of the tubular arm.
German Patent No. DE 11 2007 000 230 T5 describes a vehicle exterior rear-view mirror including a casing or chassis with a neck to which an adaptor is mated. The adaptor has an abutment surface adapted to abut against a support sheet element associated to an outer panel of the vehicle. The support sheet element has an opening aligned with respective passages of the casing and the adaptor, respectively. A coupling stem is installed through the passages with the possibility of rotation and axial movement. Anchor configurations are formed at a lower end of the stem, the configurations engaging portions of the lower face of the support sheet element adjacent to the opening. An elastic element is arranged between the casing and the stem to push the stem inwards the casing or chassis.
Known rearview assemblies are often expensive to manufacture, especially since they usually include a large number of parts made of different materials. For example, metal parts are combined with plastic parts in prior art pivot mechanisms for a rearview assembly.
Fastening systems are widely known such as a fastening system for attaching a line to a household appliance, as described in German Patent Application No. DE 10 2011 079 251 A1.